Victoria Espinosa
Research Mentor: Paul Fleming
Mentor Department: Health Behavior & Health Equity, Public Health
Author(s): Victoria Espinosa, Jessica Gallegos-Gallegos, Hannah Mesa-Martinez, Paul Fleming
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 126
Abstract
Despite the United States (U.S.) being a culturally rich nation that possesses strong linguistic diversity, there are many language barriers non-English speakers encounter when receiving healthcare services. These barriers can be seen in various health areas, including maternal and infant health. To investigate the challenges posed by language barriers in maternal health, the initial phase of the Partnership to Advance Latina Maternal Health (PALMA) study looked into the experiences of patients and staff from institutions that serve Southwest Detroit. Our team conducted qualitative interviews from staff at Henry Ford Health, staff from the Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center, and Spanish-speaking Latina patients receiving maternal health services in Detroit to examine how language barriers affect the quality of care. Additionally, this project conducted a literature review to see how Community Healthcare Workers (CHW) working on maternal health care teams can help improve services by reducing language barriers. Interview findings revealed that, although there are current procedures in place to address language barriers associated with conveying health information and services in healthcare settings, health systems lack concrete policies, training, and accountability that lead to miscommunication and/or lack of interpretation services. Better policies must be implemented in healthcare settings to ensure equitable care to all patients, regardless of their primary language. Based on the literature review, we found that the adoption of CHW training programs that served Latine communities provided social support and improved access to services. While this project specifically focuses on Latina maternal health in Southwest Detroit, many of the challenges and barriers faced among the participants are similar to other groups.
